Are you saying they actually do this about the Holocaust itself, or that they just do this about so many things (slavery, for example) young people themselves try to apply it to the Holocaust?

I have heard stories from several college students at my workplace, and also from my cousin.

My cousin came home from college this summer, and said that she was being harassed because of her belief in The Holocaust. And that, several students in her class had conveniently piggybacked slavery to Gitmo, and that the Holocaust was either "an outright lie to garner sympathy for the racist nation of Zion", OR that it was "payback" for the human rights violations in the Middle East. And that opened the door to Iraq and Afghanistan as well..

She also said her professor also argued that there "weren't enough Jews in Europe at the time for that many to be killed." Also, he said that Hitler counted those who defied him as "Jews themselves" and that this also makes the exact number of Jews who died questionable, thus making the Jewish claim of genocide also questionable.

I ask because I'm finding it hard to picture any public school or university not portraying the Holocaust as extremely evil. I know mine portrayed it as possibly the worst atrocity in history, though I went to generally quite good schools, so...

In our day, history wasn't as polarized as it is today. Sure you had discussions and arguments, and political differences, but not like TODAY. I feel that professors are deliberately fueling these debates based on some of their own views, w\o really caring what it's resulting in as long as they get their paychecks.

That's really awful. I hope your cousin's experiences are more the exception than the norm. I'd say they *probably* are, but from what I see in the media and on the internet, it definitely appears Holocaust deniers are gaining ground. It likely helps that there are fewer and fewer survivors every year - and the internet definitely helps them gather together, much like white supremacist groups (well, often the same thing). There's a certain irony in that wider availability to other people and information sometimes leads to narrowing viewpoints.

And on the professors viewpoints.. Yeah, I'd say that is the case. I've read in numerous places about how extreme the views have become on many campuses, and how little dissent is often tolerated - and almost universally, this is from a strict liberal and politically correct viewpoint. And that can have some serious consequences - I think the behavior of Duke University in the circumstances around the lacrosse rape accusation is a case in point.

That's really awful. I hope your cousin's experiences are more the exception than the norm. I'd say they *probably* are, but from what I see in the media and on the internet, it definitely appears Holocaust deniers are gaining ground. It likely helps that there are fewer and fewer survivors every year - and the internet definitely helps them gather together, much like white supremacist groups (well, often the same thing). There's a certain irony in that wider availability to other people and information sometimes leads to narrowing viewpoints.

Indeed. And the fact that fewer of the survivors are still around (and given their age) it's impossible for them to come forth and tell their collective stories, so this put the burden of proof on the few who can. It's as if Holocaust survivors have fallen thru the cracks of time, and are now forgotten, given the rapid political change in the post-WW2 European landscape.

There's a certain irony in that wider availability to other people and information sometimes leads to narrowing viewpoints.

Indeed, anything that might shatter the notions of percieved truth on one side, or allows for the transfer of actual truthful information, can cause narrowing as one side gains ground and the other one grasps at straws to keep their crumbling notions intact. We've all been part of that thought process at one time or another.

And on the professors viewpoints.. Yeah, I'd say that is the case. I've read in numerous places about how extreme the views have become on many campuses, and how little dissent is often tolerated - and almost universally, this is from a strict liberal and politically correct viewpoint. And that can have some serious consequences - I think the behavior of Duke University in the circumstances around the lacrosse rape accusation is a case in point.

Duke U was a hard issue in our house too. We had some good ones about it.

Race, education and money is the thing that will always stick in the minds of the naysayers, and the Duke boys will always be seen as 'the privileged White Boys" who "got away with it" based on these factors.

Any evidence that legitimately saw these boys as innocent of the rape charges, will always be seen as tainted and altered in the minds of those for whom forensics and honest-to-goodness police work aren't enough. It's done their damage to them regardless of their not guilty ruling.

Don't frget that the Saudis are channeling about a BILLION dollars a year to U.S. universities to fund "Departments of Middle Eastern Studies"! And, having paid for the nice new buildings, the helpful Saudi government is always glad to recommend "scholars" to fill those departments . . . who invariably preach hatred for Israel and a very pro-Arabic, pro-Islamic view of history.

You can argue the merits of Islam as a religion all day long, but the Islamic nations are doing their best to rewrite history to minimize the Holocaust, or flat-out deny it.

Don't frget that the Saudis are channeling about a BILLION dollars a year to U.S. universities to fund "Departments of Middle Eastern Studies"! And, having paid for the nice new buildings, the helpful Saudi government is always glad to recommend "scholars" to fill those departments . . . who invariably preach hatred for Israel and a very pro-Arabic, pro-Islamic view of history.

You can argue the merits of Islam as a religion all day long, but the Islamic nations are doing their best to rewrite history to minimize the Holocaust, or flat-out deny it.

I agree with you. I don't know if I touched on it earlier, but there has been some speculation that Arabic and Muslim students have gotten special consideration in teachings of the Holocaust. This is because too much sympathy might anger them over their own feelings.

I have no doubt that special interests are at play in the denial of historical events, esp. if the return gift comes in the form of monetary funding or other special incentives.